From Carnivore to Animal-Based: Why Dr. Paul Saladino Modified His Diet for Optimal Health
The carnivore diet has emerged as a significant counterpoint to conventional nutritional wisdom, challenging long-held beliefs about meat consumption and human health. Dr. Paul Saladino, once known as "Carnivore MD," has become a leading voice in this dietary movement through his personal health journey and medical expertise. With double board certification and training from prestigious institutions like the University of Arizona and the University of Washington, Dr. Saladino brings scientific credibility to his nutritional perspectives.
Dr. Saladino's path to advocating an animal-based diet was shaped by his own health struggles, including childhood eczema, asthma, and allergies that conventional medicine failed to resolve. His dietary philosophy has evolved over time, demonstrating the importance of flexibility and individualized approaches. After experiencing negative effects from a raw vegan diet and later finding limitations with strict carnivore protocols, Dr. Saladino adjusted his approach to include moderate carbohydrate intake from fruits, illustrating the value of evidence-based adaptation rather than rigid adherence to any single nutritional dogma.
Key Takeaways
Dr. Saladino's evidence-based approach to nutrition challenges conventional wisdom about meat consumption and human health.
Personal health struggles led him to question traditional medical approaches that treat symptoms rather than root causes.
Dietary flexibility and individualization are essential components of optimal nutrition, as demonstrated by his evolving nutritional philosophy.
The Evolution of Dr. Paul Saladino's Dietary Approach
From Strict Animal-Based Eating to Broader Nutrition
Dr. Paul Saladino, double board certified physician and certified nutritional specialist, has undergone a significant evolution in his dietary philosophy. His medical education at the University of Arizona and residency at the University of Washington provided the foundation for his career, but his personal health struggles sparked his nutritional investigations. Childhood health challenges including eczema, asthma, and allergies led him to question conventional medical approaches that focused on medication rather than addressing root causes.
His personal health journey included a seven-month period as a raw vegan, which resulted in significant weight loss and digestive issues. This experience, coupled with his research into ancestral nutrition patterns, eventually led him to explore meat-centered diets. Though he followed a paleo-type diet for approximately 10-12 years, his persistent eczema flares prompted further dietary experimentation.
Initial Strict Carnivore Diet
Dr. Saladino's introduction to the carnivore approach came unexpectedly while driving to surf during a rainy Seattle weekend. Hearing Jordan Peterson discuss how a meat-based diet improved autoimmune conditions resonated with his ongoing health struggles. This inspiration led him to adopt a strict carnivore regimen, eliminating plant foods entirely.
The strict carnivore approach became his signature methodology, earning him the moniker "Carnivore MD" across his professional platforms. During this phase, he advocated for an animal-based diet consisting primarily of:
Muscle meats
Organ meats
Animal fats
Limited dairy (if tolerated)
His personal experience with this approach proved transformative for his autoimmune conditions. The strict protocol helped address the eczema flares that had persisted through his paleo phase, reinforcing his belief in the therapeutic potential of animal-based nutrition.
Inclusion of Moderate Carbohydrates from Fruits
After approximately a year and a half of strict carnivore eating, Dr. Saladino encountered challenges with long-term ketosis and began reconsidering his approach. This led to a significant evolution in his dietary philosophy, moving away from the "Carnivore MD" identity and embracing a more flexible nutritional framework.
His modified approach now incorporates moderate carbohydrates, primarily from fruits. This adjustment reflects both his personal experience and ongoing research into optimal human nutrition. The inclusion of fruits provides:
Natural carbohydrate sources
Additional micronutrients
Metabolic flexibility
Dr. Saladino maintains his emphasis on high-quality animal foods as nutritional foundations while acknowledging the potential benefits of certain plant foods, particularly fruits. His evolving perspective highlights the importance of individualization in nutrition and demonstrates his commitment to adjusting recommendations based on emerging evidence and personal experience.
Medical Training and Professional Background
Academic Path Through Arizona and Washington
Dr. Paul Saladino earned his medical degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson, demonstrating his commitment to understanding human health fundamentally. Following medical school, he completed his residency at the University of Washington in Seattle, where his medical expertise continued to develop. During this period, Dr. Saladino experienced personal health challenges, including severe eczema flares, which prompted him to reconsider conventional nutritional wisdom. These academic institutions provided him with strong scientific foundations while his personal health journey led him to question standard medical approaches.
Professional Qualifications in Nutrition
Dr. Saladino holds dual board certifications and is recognized as a certified nutritional specialist. This specialized training has equipped him to examine the relationships between dietary choices and human health outcomes with greater authority. His professional credentials complement his medical training, allowing him to approach nutrition from both clinical and physiological perspectives. This combination of medical knowledge and nutritional expertise informs his evidence-based approach to diet and health recommendations. His qualifications enable him to evaluate nutritional research critically and develop personalized dietary protocols.
Key Issues in Contemporary Healthcare
Treatment of Symptoms Rather Than Causes
Western medicine excels at addressing acute conditions but often falls short with chronic illnesses. Medical training typically emphasizes pharmaceutical interventions that target symptoms while overlooking underlying factors. Many physicians prescribe medications as first-line treatments without exploring nutritional or lifestyle modifications that might address root causes.
Medical education reinforces this approach, with limited nutrition training in most medical schools. Doctors receive extensive education about drug mechanisms but minimal instruction on how dietary patterns influence disease development. This knowledge gap creates a healthcare system where patients receive pills rather than preventative strategies.
Overlooking Fundamental Disease Origins
The conventional medical system frequently neglects the true origins of chronic conditions, focusing instead on managing symptoms indefinitely. Autoimmune disorders, metabolic diseases, and inflammatory conditions often stem from lifestyle factors that remain unaddressed in typical treatment protocols.
Many chronic health issues share common inflammatory pathways potentially triggered by:
Nutritional imbalances (excess processed foods, inflammatory oils)
Environmental toxin exposure
Disrupted gut microbiome
Chronic stress patterns
Without addressing these foundational elements, patients often experience temporary relief while their underlying condition progresses. This creates dependency on medications that manage symptoms without offering true healing.
The medical establishment's reluctance to emphasize nutrition reflects both training limitations and systemic constraints. Most appointments last 15-20 minutes, providing insufficient time to explore complex lifestyle factors or develop comprehensive nutrition plans.
My Health Journey
From Plant-Based to Animal-Based Diet
My dietary philosophy underwent a significant transformation over the years. Approximately 15 years ago, I followed a raw vegan diet for seven months. During this period, I experienced substantial weight loss, dropping to under 145 pounds at 5'9" height. This approach caused severe digestive issues and didn't resolve my underlying health problems.
After researching human dietary patterns throughout history, I recognized that meat consumption appears consistently across all human cultures. This realization prompted me to reincorporate animal products into my diet, adopting a paleo-style approach for about a decade. While this change helped me regain approximately 5-15 pounds of muscle and improved my overall wellbeing, certain health challenges persisted.
The pivotal moment in my nutritional journey came during my medical residency at the University of Washington. After listening to Jordan Peterson discuss how a meat-based diet improved his autoimmune conditions, I decided to explore this approach for myself.
Overcoming Autoimmune Issues
Throughout childhood and into adulthood, I struggled with several immune-related conditions, including eczema, asthma, and allergies. These issues continued despite following what I believed was a healthy paleo diet of organic vegetables, salads, nuts, meat, eggs, and fruit.
During medical school, my eczema became particularly problematic. The condition would worsen during periods of physical activity like jiu-jitsu, where skin lesions would develop bacterial infections from contact with exercise mats. These recurring infections proved frustrating and difficult to manage.
The situation reached a critical point during my residency when I experienced a severe eczema flare after consuming mushroom extracts. This episode, which resulted in eczema spreading to my head, convinced me that my immune system was reacting negatively to certain foods in my diet.
After adopting a carnivore approach, I noticed significant improvements in my autoimmune conditions. This experience has shaped my perspective on nutrition and health, leading me to become an advocate for animal-based diets. Over time, my strict carnivore approach has evolved to include some careful carbohydrate incorporation, demonstrating my belief in dietary flexibility and individualization.
Nutritional Misconceptions
The Misrepresentation of Meat in Modern Diets
Meat has become increasingly vilified in contemporary nutritional discourse despite its historical importance in human diets. Across all discovered human societies and tribes throughout history, meat consumption has been a consistent dietary component. This vilification appears misaligned with anthropological evidence and nutritional science.
The nutritional density of properly-sourced animal products provides essential nutrients that can be difficult to obtain from plant sources alone. Many health practitioners who initially avoided meat in their personal journeys have later incorporated it after experiencing suboptimal health outcomes on plant-exclusive diets.
Weight loss, muscle maintenance, and immune function often improve when quality animal products are reintroduced after periods of restriction. The shift toward demonizing meat seems to overlook its fundamental role in human evolutionary nutrition.
Misleading Food Labels and Hidden Ingredients
Food manufacturers frequently employ deceptive labeling practices that can mislead even health-conscious consumers. Products advertised as containing "natural fruit flavor" often contain no actual fruit, relying instead on artificial flavoring compounds designed to mimic fruit taste profiles.
Popular food items like flavored yogurts frequently contain high fructose corn syrup despite marketing that suggests wholesome ingredients. Consumers must carefully examine ingredient lists rather than relying on front-of-package claims that may suggest healthfulness.
The presence of problematic oils also requires vigilance. Many processed foods contain:
Seed oils high in linoleic acid
Partially hydrogenated oils (which may not be listed if below certain percentages)
Hidden inflammatory ingredients under technical or alternative names
Proper label reading has become essential as companies exploit labeling loopholes to present processed foods as healthier options than they actually are. Knowledge of these industry practices empowers consumers to make truly informed dietary choices rather than falling victim to clever marketing tactics.
Dietary Consciousness Matters
Seed Oil Evaluation in Modern Nutrition
Examining what goes into our bodies has become increasingly important in today's health landscape. Seed oils, particularly those high in linoleic acid such as canola oil, deserve special scrutiny. Many commercially available products contain these oils despite growing concerns about their health implications.
Food manufacturers often employ misleading labeling practices. Terms like "natural flavors" may appear on products containing no actual fruit, while partially hydrogenated oils might not be listed if they fall below certain percentage thresholds. This lack of transparency makes informed dietary choices challenging.
Reading food labels carefully is essential for understanding what's actually in processed foods. Many seemingly healthy products contain hidden seed oils that may contribute to inflammatory processes in the body.
Dispelling Nutritional Misconceptions
Conventional nutritional wisdom often deserves reexamination. Traditional dietary staples like meat have sometimes been unfairly vilified despite evidence suggesting their nutritional benefits. This situation reflects how established thinking can sometimes slow the integration of emerging nutritional science.
The medical community generally approaches patient care with positive intentions, but educational biases can impact nutritional recommendations. Changing deeply-established viewpoints often proves more challenging than forming them initially.
Dietary approaches should evolve based on individual responses rather than rigid frameworks. Some people who initially benefit from restrictive diets like ketosis may encounter challenges with long-term adherence, suggesting that dietary flexibility matters.
Knowledge about nutrition continues to develop. What might seem like alarmism often represents important clarification about food quality and processing methods. Understanding these distinctions empowers individuals to make more informed dietary choices.
Dr. Saladino's Influential Presence
"The Ultimate Human Podcast" Appearance
Dr. Paul Saladino made a significant appearance on "The Ultimate Human Podcast," hosted by human biologist Gary Brea. This podcast focuses on anti-aging, biohacking, and longevity topics. During his guest appearance, Dr. Saladino shared insights from his personal health journey and professional evolution.
Dr. Saladino revealed his interesting background, including a period when he followed a raw vegan diet approximately 15 years earlier. This dietary approach proved unsuccessful for him, causing significant weight loss and digestive issues. He noted that during this period, he weighed only about 145 pounds on his 5'9" frame, compared to his current healthier weight of 165 pounds with improved muscle mass.
His medical credentials include:
MD from University of Arizona, Tucson
Residency at University of Washington, Seattle
Double board certification
Certified nutritional specialist
Host Gary Brea's Admiration and Influence
Gary Brea expressed profound respect for Dr. Saladino during the podcast episode. He introduced Dr. Saladino as someone he had wanted to feature for nearly a year, describing him as a personal mentor whose work had significantly influenced his own lifestyle choices.
"I've been following this guy for a long time. I incorporate a lot of his ancestral tenants into my daily life. I'm a huge fan, he's a mentor of mine—doesn't even know it, but he is," Brea stated during the introduction.
Brea particularly admired Dr. Saladino's intellectual flexibility and willingness to evolve his views. He noted how Dr. Saladino had moved beyond his initial strict carnivore approach to a more nuanced position. This evolution in thinking demonstrated to Brea the qualities that make Dr. Saladino a thought leader—someone who solves personal health challenges and continues to refine his understanding based on evidence and experience.
The Significance of Flexibility in Diet
Dietary approaches are not one-size-fits-all, and personal evolution in nutrition philosophies can lead to better health outcomes. Many health practitioners initially adhere strictly to specific diets but later discover the benefits of flexibility based on their experiences and ongoing research.
Personal dietary journeys often begin with health challenges. Some individuals find themselves overmedicated for conditions like asthma, eczema, and allergies without addressing the root causes through nutrition. This realization can spark exploration into various eating patterns.
The concept of dietary flexibility challenges common nutritional dogma. Many foods have been unfairly demonized despite evidence of their nutritional value for humans. Animal products, for instance, have been historically consumed by all discovered human tribes, suggesting their importance in human biology.
Strict dietary adherence may create unexpected health issues. For example, long-term ketosis or raw vegan diets can sometimes lead to unintended consequences like significant weight loss, muscle deterioration, or digestive distress.
Reading food labels becomes crucial when adopting any dietary approach. Many products contain hidden ingredients like:
High fructose corn syrup labeled as "natural fruit flavor"
Partially hydrogenated oils (sometimes below reporting thresholds)
Excessive linoleic acid from seed oils, particularly canola oil
Key Considerations for Dietary Flexibility:
Individual response varies based on genetics and health history
Cultural and ancestral eating patterns may provide valuable insights
Personal experimentation reveals what works for your body
Adaptation may be necessary as health goals and conditions change
Some health practitioners have found success transitioning from strict meat-based diets to more inclusive approaches incorporating moderate carbohydrates from fruits. This evolution represents the ongoing learning process that informs modern nutrition perspectives.
Knowledge about nutrition continues to evolve, clearing misconceptions rather than promoting fear. The goal remains identifying root causes of chronic conditions rather than merely treating symptoms with medications.
Broader Implications of Nutrition on Health
Nutrition plays a critical role in overall health beyond merely providing energy for daily activities. The food choices people make can significantly impact their immune system, cognitive function, and even chronic disease development. Research suggests that ancestral dietary patterns may offer valuable insights into optimal human nutrition.
Many common foods in modern diets contain problematic ingredients that consumers might not fully recognize. Food labels often disguise unhealthy components with technical terminology or misleading descriptors. For example, products labeled as "natural" might contain highly processed ingredients with minimal nutritional value.
Seed oils represent one area of nutritional concern. These oils, including canola, contain high amounts of linoleic acid, which some research suggests may contribute to inflammatory processes in the body. Reading ingredient labels carefully becomes essential for identifying these components in processed foods.
Dietary patterns and health outcomes:
Animal-based proteins provide complete amino acid profiles
Processed foods often contain hidden inflammatory ingredients
Individual responses to different dietary approaches vary significantly
Autoimmune conditions may respond to specific dietary interventions
The relationship between diet and autoimmune conditions deserves particular attention. Many individuals with conditions like eczema, asthma, and various allergies report improvements when modifying their diets. These modifications often involve eliminating potential trigger foods and focusing on nutrient-dense alternatives.
Personal experimentation with nutrition can reveal important insights. Many health practitioners have discovered their optimal dietary approach through trial and error rather than following conventional nutritional guidelines. This process frequently involves cycling through different dietary patterns before finding what works best.
Weight management represents another area where nutritional approaches show varying effectiveness. Body composition improvements often correlate more strongly with dietary quality than with caloric quantity alone. Nutrient-dense foods support lean muscle mass maintenance while potentially reducing unnecessary fat storage.
The historical context of human nutrition provides valuable perspective. Throughout human evolution, dietary patterns included animal products, which provided essential nutrients difficult to obtain from plant sources alone. This evolutionary history may explain why some individuals thrive on animal-based nutrition.
Knowledge empowerment remains a fundamental aspect of nutritional health. Understanding food quality, preparation methods, and individual responses allows for better-informed choices. This approach contrasts with simply following general dietary recommendations that may not account for biochemical individuality.
Medical training often emphasizes pharmaceutical interventions rather than nutritional approaches to health. This educational gap can leave practitioners unprepared to address the root causes of chronic conditions through dietary modifications. Expanding medical education to include deeper nutritional science could benefit many patients seeking comprehensive solutions.
Human Metab
